(Yicai Global) Aug. 13 -- Growing ranks of Hong Kong residents traveling overseas propelled passenger traffic and aircraft movements at the special administrative region's international airport to a new high last month.

Passenger traffic rose 2.2 percent from a year earlier to 6.7 million and aircraft movements increased 1.1 percent to 36,685 at Hong Kong International Airport, breaking the record set in the same month last year, state Xinhua News Agency cited HKIA as saying yesterday.

The ranks of Hong Kong residents visiting overseas swelled 8 percent over the same month last year, with passenger traffic to and from the mainland, Europe and Japan showing the greatest growth, HKIA said.

A 9 percent increase in freight transit drove a rise in cargo transshipped over the same period last year. North America and Southeast Asia recorded the most significant growth in goods traffic among the major trading regions.

The airport handled 43.6 million passengers and 2.9 million tons of cargo and airmail in the first seven months of this year, both of which registered a 3.1 percent yearly rise, while aircraft movements climbed 2 percent to 247,980.

New airlines will join in to further expand the airport's already extensive air network and offer passengers greater convenience, HKIA said.